2 comments about Periplus Guide to Bali: The Island of the Gods (Periplus Adventure Guides).

1. I think this is an exceptionally good quality guide book for those who travel to Bali not just to lie on a beach or surf, but also for its amazing cultural and historical heritage, where every village and temple have their own story. The closest I can compare it with is Eyewitness Guide on Bali, but there is definitely more information in this guide. There is also an abundance of beautific pictures but they don't take full pages so you get much more text not sacrificing the aesthetics. This is a book for people who want to feel in a new place not like stupid foreigners but rather informed observers, understanding their performances, rituals, lifestyle, etc. You'll know exactly what village or place you want to stay in and why.
   For practicalities you'll have to get Lonely Planet or Rough Guide though.



2. This book contains excellent background information and descriptions of obscure attractions written by a team of expert authors along with photos of stunnning quality.
   Practical information is found separately in the back of the book, and is somewhat dated. However, with Bali well set-up for tourism, you will easily find accomodation/transport of your choice anyway.
   Highly recommended, even as a 2nd guidebook if you already have another guide stronger on practical details like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

1 comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Kyoto (Wallpaper City Guides) (Wallpaper City Guides (Phaidon Press)).

1. I purchased this at the last minute due to the Loney Planet Kyoto guide was changing editions & I couldn't get a copy.
   
   This book did provide some interesting places to go if you are into mostly modern architecture, and it did have some great pictures. Otherwise it was a waste if you wanted more general information. It's written in a "You can only hope to be as cool as us in finding these spots" tone and the recommendations on hotels & dining were all on the uber-tendy side.
   
   The map included in the book was very poor, and none of the sites mentioned in the book were called out on the map (due to the lack of detail) And if you have ever had to deal with addresses in Japan, they are very complex- that's why GPS units are such a big seller there, so it made it very difficult to use.
   
   Plus there appeared to be no flow or grouping to the locations, so if you tried to track things down on the fly, you were going back & forth across the town. After a while I gave up on the book & used a great free map the hotel gave me that was published by the Kyoto City Tourist Association. You can also get a copy of it on the second floor of the JR station at their info center.
   
   Use this book only as a supplement to a better book to find interesting architectural sites.

5 comments about After Sorrow: An American Among the Vietnamese (Kodansha Globe).

1. As a veteran of the war in Viet Nam, I can say that the thought of reading another book about the war was not appealing. Most of the books are so apologetic, jingoistic, or wrapped up in macho face-saving that they are of little use. This book was recommended by a friend who met Ms Borton in Viet Nam. He had not read her book, but was impressed by her enough to tell me about her. I found 'After Sorrow' in my Colleges library and after reading it, have since bought several copies to give to friends, mostly fellow veterans. It is an excellent book: personal and painfully revealing and very well written.I recommend it to anyone interested in that war, or the role of women in war, or anyone interested in a good book. My only complaint is the use of translated names without giving the Viet Namese original. The translated names are beautiful and lyric but I would like to know what 'Autumn' or 'River' or 'Second Harvest' are in their own language.



2. As a veteran of the war in Viet Nam, I can say that the thought of reading another book about the war was not appealing. Most of the books are so apologetic, jingoistic, or wrapped up in macho face-saving that they are of little use. This book was recommended by a friend who met Ms Borton in Han Noi, Viet Nam. He had not read her book, but was impressed by her enough to tell me about her. Unknown to my friend, I was in Quang Ngai City in 1969 when she was there (I in Air Cavalry, she with Quaker Services) and I knew of (and respected) the work of her organization from that time. I found 'After Sorrow' in my Colleges library and after reading it, have since bought several copies to give to friends, mostly fellow veterans. The reception has always been positive. It is an excellent book: personal and painfully revealing and very well written. It covers several extended visits by Ms Borton to various parts of the country over a span of some twenty years. I recommend it to anyone interested in the war, or the role of women in war, or really anyone interested in a good book. The beginning section, a visit to a village in the Mekong delta area, was particularly startling in the discussion of how effective the village women were as guerillas. My only complaint is the use of translated names without giving the Viet Namese original. The translated names are beautiful and lyric but I would like to know what 'Autumn' or 'River' or 'Second Harvest' are in their own language.



3. Lady Borton holds some strong opinions as I have noted on a recent trip to Viet Nam. In this wonderful book however she holds them in check and expresses everything in the words, experiences and thoughts of others who presumably were there. Reading this in country and in fact in the exact places cited in the book was a moving experience. Borton does not actually take a view on agent orange here although she has one. In fact emphasising that a woman's statements in the text are annecdotal and without statistical foundation is more than fair to other opinions. Nor does she promote communism but rather separates it from the nationalism which won the war for her friends who only begin to thrive when a market economy arrives. This is a wonderful story reflecting what other war participants think and feel in contrast to our own long held ideas.



4. From her experience living together with the common people, Lady Borton is able to reveal to us the main reason why the Americans failed to win the war in Vietnam. In fact, the war is already lost even before it began. Vietnamese is those special breed of people that's enormously proud of their country & should Americans have learnt about Vietnamese history, then, they would have to think twice before deciding to chip in efforts in assisting the French, & subsequently, to fight against communism. It so happened that after interviewing the common people, they were not fighting the Americans for communism but they simply wanted to win the right to enjoy their lives, to live as a free person with their own people. We also learnt of women's significant contribution towards the cause. Along the way, they lost their loved ones, & many became victims to chemical warfare conducted by the Americans. Surprisingly, many Vietnamese don't have ill-feelings against Americans because they always regarded the American Government differently from the Americans. The book also gives us a glimpse of their cultures (celebration of Tet & New Year), difference beween North & South Vietnam. To make the reading more interesting, there were pictures taken of the author with her new found friends ie. villagers, drawing of villages layouts, map of Vietnam, outline of Vietnam history, description of Vietnamese terms, relevant poems to start every & each chapters written by Vietnamese nationalists & poets. I don't find the book particularly captivating to read as it's quite long winded describing every little details about domestic chores. For those that yearn to feel the essence of villagers' life, perhaps, it's worth the while. Still, this doesn't deter the author's goal of reconciling between the States & Vietnam, & thus, the title of the book, After Sorrow.



5. this is one of the most biased, misleading books I have ever read. it reports all of the bad things that the south and the americans did, but totally ignores the atrocities committed by the north, like the 10,000 civilians killed in Hue during the 1968 VC offensive, including many who were buried alive. if the author is truly a pacifist, why are these not mentioned?

   beyond that, it tends to be repetitive and self-congradulatory.

No comments about Maldives Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs).

1 comments about Jadyn and the Magic Bubble: I Met Gandhi.

1. A boy and his magic bubble visit one of the most important individuals of the twentieth century in "Jadyn and the Magic Bubble: I Met Gandhi", a tale of meeting with the legendary patron of nonviolence, and learning about India's move toward freedom after World War II. Filled with charming full color pencil drawings and enhanced with a poster, game, activities, and a bonus CD-ROM, "Jadyn and the Magic Bubble" is highly recommended for community library children's picturebook collections.

1 comments about Fodor's Singapore, 12th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. The book has most of the items that are necessary to the traveler, i.e. the section in the beginning, "Smart Travel Tips,"; however, there should be a section describing a brief history of Singapore and there should be a more detailed description of the walking tours, including better maps, of the ethnic neighborhoods.

No comments about Displacing Desire: Travel and Poplar Culture in China.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Singapore 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

No comments about The Marco Polo Odyssey: In the Footsteps of a Merchant Who Changed the World.

No comments about Caves of Northern Thailand.